information contained in an encrypted iPhone may want to help ultimately answer whether there was a 3rd assailant inside the San Bernardino terror assault that killed 14 human beings, in keeping with court papers filed with the aid of the county’s district attorney.

San Bernardino Police chief Jarrod Burguan said Friday that the question of a third attacker has nagged investigators in spite of no assisting proof.

“we have by no means been able to absolutely eliminate it,” he said. “We recognize we’ve got a few witnesses that said they thought they noticed three … some saw , a few saw one. most people stated two, and the evidence we have up to date simplest helps two.”

nevertheless, he stated investigators would like to definitively answer the query, and unlocking the telephone may want to help try this.

Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, opened fire December 2 at an annual education of his San Bernardino County co-people. They died hours later in a shootout with police. The 14 people killed marked the deadliest terror attack on US soil considering 9/11, 2001.

In a short filed in federal courtroom Thursday, San Bernardino County District lawyer Michael Ramos cited 911 calls reporting three perpetrators throughout the assault.

“The statistics contained solely on the seized iPhone ought to offer proof to become aware of as of yet unknown co-conspirators …” in step with Ramos’ quick.

The short additionally advised that the county-owned iPhone used by Farook may have delivered a “mendacity-dormant cyber pathogen” endangering the county’s computer network.

Burguan stated he is in no way heard that principle and knew of no issues.

such a breech is technically viable but not going, said David Meltzer, a pc security expert and leader research officer at TripWire, a business IT safety company.

If an employee desired to introduce malicious software into the county’s community, Meltzer stated they might be much more likely to apply a desktop or pc laptop because it’s less difficult to down load and control malicious code on a computer’s operating machine.

The district legal professional is amongst many weighing in on the combat between Apple and the authorities in advance of a March 22 hearing wherein Apple is looking a choose to opposite an order requiring the agency to create a software program program that overrides iPhone security capabilities.

Apple says unlocking Farook’s telephone could make all other iPhones more prone to destiny assaults.

In a letter to Apple CEO Tim cook cited in any other courtroom short, Mark Sandefur – the daddy of one of the men killed within the terror assault – also noted reviews of 3 attackers, announcing the smartphone need to be unlocked.

“numerous of the survivors tell me bone-chilling memories of in which they have been, and what they noticed,” Sandefur wrote. “a number of them describe in specific element, laying on the floor, hiding below furniture and the our bodies in their co-employees, that they saw 3 assailants, no longer , strolling round in heavy boots as they accomplished their murders.

“What if there is evidence pointing to a third shooter?” Sandefur wrote. “What if it ends in an unknown terrorist mobile? What if others are attacked, and you and i did not anything to save you it?”

amongst the ones backing Apple are civil liberties advocates and some of the employer’s largest competitors, consisting of Google, facebook and Microsoft.

The final of the 22 surviving sufferers of the assault changed into released from the health facility Thursday, the clicking corporation pronounced.